15 Calf Exercises That Will Tone Your Legs Like You Wouldn’t Believe
The most commonly overlooked muscle in a fitness regime is the calf. It is one of the large and significant muscle groups that requires strength training.
Building up your calf strength:
- Start off gradually with a nice stretching exercise.
- Cramps can be avoided with a good water consumption.
- Overuse injuries are typical of training errors.
Create a quick workout climax more focused on your calf
Choose any 3 moves. After performing 15 reps each, take a 30 seconds breather. Once done with all, repeat the process twice.
1. Calf Raise
Stand with feet wide apart. Raise your heels and the knees should be straight, not locked. Squeeze your calf muscles and gently lower your heels.
2. Isometric Calf Raise
Stand with feet wide apart while holding dumbbells. Raise your heels and your knees should be straight. Squeeze your calf muscles, wait five seconds before lowering.
3. Inward Calf raise
Stand with feet wide apart, toes pointing inwards and heels slightly protruding. Raise your heels. Keep knees straight, not locked. Pause, squeeze your calf muscles then lower.
4. Outward Calf raise
Stand with feet wide apart, toes protruding and heels slightly in. Raise your heels above the ground and keep the knees straight, squeeze your calf muscles then lower.
5. Squat to Raised Heel
Stand with feet wide apart, toes slightly protruded. Lower to a squat while dropping your arms in front. Push the heels to stand and bring your arms overhead, lift the heels, repeat.
6. Single-Leg Calf Raise
Stand with feet wide apart. Raise your foot and bend the knee at 90 degree. Keeping your leg raised, press the ball of your right foot to lift the heel. Pause and squeeze calf muscle before lowering.
7. Jumping Jacks
Feet together and arms at sides. Simultaneously stretch the arms outwards and above your head while jumping, bring your feet together and wide apart in a loop.
8. Seated Calf Raise
Sit on the edge of a chair and place a block under, resting the balls of your feet on top. Holding dumbbells rest their bottom on your thighs. Lift your heels, squeeze your calf muscles and lower.
9. Butt Kicks
Mimic running, only lift the heel of your foot higher all the way up to your glute one by one in a loop while moving the arms up and down on your sides.
10. Weighted Calf Rock
Stand with your feet apart holding weights. Roll back on your heels to shift the weight while raising the toes, instantly roll forward to rise up on your toes.
11. High Knees
Stand straight, bend arms at 90 degrees. Keep elbows close to sides and hands at waist level. Bending your right leg bring the knee up to tap your palm, repeat in a loop involving both legs.
12. Downward Dog Walks
From a plank position with your palms flat on the mat, bend your knees inwards one by one while supporting your weight on your toes and shifting it with the bending knee in a loop.
13. Jump Rope
Keep your feet together and arms by the side, skip the rope in the same posture. One rep equals one jump.
14. Step Up with Hop
Face a bench, place one foot and lift yourself up on it with a hop using the other foot. Keep your posture straight and face forward.
15. Jump Squat
Stand with your feet apart, lower down to a squat and bring your arms together in the front, jump as high while swinging your arms back.
